Former South African fast bowler Allan Donald said that veteran batsman Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket earlier than expected, just like Proteas legend AB de Villiers. Donald also shared his desire to see Kohli in the SA20 for at least one season, adding that it would be special for the fans to see him in the tournament.
Kohli surprised many fans by retiring from Test cricket early last year. He struggled to score runs and could only score one century in his final year. The right-handed batsman scored 9,230 runs with an impressive average of almost 47 and 30 centuries, making him one of the best batsmen of his generation.
There is no one who trains as hard as Virat Kohli – Allan Donald
On the sidelines of SA20, Allan Donald praised Virat Kohli for his attitude, fitness and passion for the game. Donald, who worked with Kohli during his time as coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), said that Kohli was the only batsman he felt could come close to Sachin Tendulkar.
“I said this a few years ago, when I was in a room with Hashim Amla, and I mentioned that if there was one batsman who could even get close to Sachin, it would be Virat. He probably wouldn’t get there, but Hashim looked at me and said, ‘How can you say that?’ It’s just his hunger,” Donald said.
He said, “I don’t think I have ever seen a player with that level of drive. I have a lot of respect for him. I often talk about him in the dressing room, especially about him being a champion trainer. There is no one who can train as hard as Virat. He is a machine.”
He has retired too early like AB de Villiers – Allan Donald on Virat Kohli
Allan Donald said he still misses seeing Kohli in Test cricket and added that the batsman retired from the format earlier than expected. Donald said Kohli can be a major presence in big tournaments, especially the 2027 World Cup.
He said, “I actually miss him. I miss watching him in Test cricket. It’s a bit like AB; you almost think he has retired too early. But there is no doubt that we will see him again very soon in white-ball cricket, especially in the World Cup.”
It’s great to see Virat Kohli playing in SA20 – Allan Donald
Virat Kohli has also retired from T20 Internationals after playing a key role in India’s title win in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He has been active in ODIs and will be seen in action in the series opener against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11.
Allan Donald said that he would love to see Kohli play in the SA20 for at least one season, adding that it would be something special and exciting for the fans.
“I would love to see Kohli play in SA20 for a season. It would be amazing,” he said.
Also read: Virat Kohli is just 42 runs away from surpassing Kumar Sangakkara in the all-time international runs list